Summer is here and for fantasy football players, it’s time to do your homework. Fantasy football is a challenging game based around constant evaluation and all or nothing decisions. Week to week your lineup changes due to injuries and bye weeks. When it comes to injuries plan for the worst, evaluate players carefully and draft the best team possible. Try to make good late round sleeper picks for bench depth, these picks can save your season.

Offensive Lines

A vital and sometimes ignored key to drafting running backs and quarterbacks is the offensive line. In most fantasy football leagues you’re not drafting offensive lines or offense lineman however; this line can make or break a running backs/quarterbacks season. The offensive line is responsible for opening up holes for running backs to run through and protecting the quarterback long enough so he can read the field and make a play. Although this isn’t the only key to success for your RB & QB but, when debating between a few players to draft, considering the skill of the o-line can certainly help make a decision.

For ranking the offensive line I am using a grouping system instead of specific order as unforeseen personnel and injuries can change before the start of the season.

Elite: Arizona, Carolina, Dallas, New York Jets & Pittsburgh.

Above Average: Cincinnati, Houston, Los Angeles, Minnesota & New England.

Average: Baltimore, Denver, Green Bay, Kansas City, New York Giants, Seattle, Tampa Bay & Washington.

Below Average: Atlanta, Buffalo, Chicago, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Miami, New Orleans, Oakland & Philadelphia.

Poor: Cleveland, Detroit, San Diego, San Francisco & Tennessee.

Operation Relocation

Here are a few big names that relocated to a new team this offseason. Let’s see how well they fit into their new teams.

DeMarco Murray – Tennessee Titans - RB

After leaving the Cowboys for the Eagles last season, Murray had a terrible season to follow up his league leading 2014 performance. This is a perfect example of a talented player shifting teams and laying a goose egg for a season. However, Murray is onto his third team and he seems to have a bright future. The Titans o-line is poor but has a chance to improve and with some offensive weapons, the Titans might just have enough tools to get some defenders to pay attention to other targets while Murray carries the ball. Murray should be able to bounce back from last year and to his advantage, head coach Mike Mularkey runs the ball a lot.

Matt Forte – New York Jets – RB

Forte has had over 800 rushing yards and 300 receiving yards for eight seasons straight. That’s amazing! He’s one of very few to achieve such success; however, at age 30 and with a new team for the first time in his career, he can be hard to judge. The Jets o-line will be an upgrade for Forte and the Jets have weapons with Marshall and Decker. The Jets will have Forte split some carries with Bilal Powell and Khiry Robinson which should keep him fresh throughout the year. While splitting the workload, I believe Forte will continue to be a productive player. However, I see him more as a RB2 at age 30 with potential to reach a top 10 spot as Chris Ivory did last season for the Jets.

Chris Ivory – Jacksonville Jaguars – RB

Last season Ivory was a top 10 running back playing for the Jets; a team that totaled the 10^th highest rushing attempts last season. Now with the Jaguars, Ivory will be splitting time with last year rookie T. J. Yeldon and joins a team with the 3^rd lowest rushing attempts in 2015. The Jaguars investment in Ivory would seem to mean he’ll be the starter but, Yeldon is expected to get a decent amount of playing time as well. Given the Jags are a pass heavy team, I’m not so sure Ivory will make a return to the top 10 and I’m looking at Ivory as a low RB2/RB3 option, leaning more towards RB3.

Lamar Miller – Houston Texans – RB

Adrian Foster is no longer a Texan and Houston turned to Lamar Miller to fill the massive void Foster left behind. Miller is only 24 years old and had success over his four seasons in Miami, especially his last two. Houston’s defense is among the best and should keep points of the board giving the ball to the offense. Houston has wide receiver threat DeAndre Hopkins, rookie WR Will Fuller to stretch the field and new arrival QB Brock Osweiler to round out the offense. Miller should get plenty of carries and it’s smart to invest in a young capable running back. I see Miller as a low RB1 with potential to rise.

Brock Osweiler – Houston Texans - QB

Starting 7 games for Denver in Peyton Manning’s absence, Osweiler won 5 games with a QB rating of 86.2, 61.8% pass completion, 10 touchdowns, 6 interceptions and just shy of 2,000 passing yards last season. Not bad numbers but, those seven games were fairly easy matchups and with such a limited sample size it’s hard to figure out Osweiler. It’s also hard to draft him as your starting QB when there are so many established QBs available. If he’s available later on, he’s worth a bench spot as your backup QB; this will give you a few weeks to see how he handles his first full time gig.

Robert Griffin III - Cleveland Browns – QB

RG3’s long injury history is a major concern however, the potential for a dual threat QB working with Hue Jackson is very appealing. Griffin has Gary Barnidge at TE who broke out in his first full season as a starter and there is a very low chance he’ll have an opportunity to throw to Josh Gordon. RG3’s name is nothing more than eye candy at this point. Although he has potential to be very successful as a starter, his injury risk is just as high.

Marvin Jones – Detroit Lions – WR

First off, let me just say there is no replacing Calvin Johnson in Detroit. Stafford has always been a slinger but, I find him to be very inconsistent week to week. Jones was paid as a number 1 option but, I see him more as a number 2. The lions seem to be lining up with two number 2 options (Jones and Golden Tate) and are missing that elite number 1 wide receiver. Stafford has relied on Calvin his entire career and with him retired, it’s up to Jones, Tate, Kerley (WR), Ebron (TE) and Abdullah (RB) to create some chemistry with Stafford and make this work. Until proven otherwise, look at Jones as a WR3 or bench depth.

Travis Benjamin – San Diego Chargers – WR

Benjamin’s move from Cleveland to San Diego this offseason got him the upgrade at quarterback he was looking for. However, Benjamin slides in-between Keenan Allen and Stevie Johnson. Allen and TE Antonio Gates figure to continue as the top targets for QB Phillip Rivers and Johnson is a solid third receiver to have. Benjamin won’t be relied on as he was in Cleveland but, he has potential to put up some numbers. We’ll have to wait and see how the Chargers utilize Benjamin in this offense.

Coby Fleener – New Orleans Saints – TE

Fleener has always been a guy with potential and at times was able to flash how good he can be. Ultimately, he was hot and cold in the Colts offense and split time with Dwayne Allen never reaching his true potential. Now a member of the Saints, a team low on offensive weapons, Fleener should be able to put some fantasy points to be a solid starter as QB Brees likes to sling it and connect with his TE. Just don’t expect Jimmy Graham numbers, I’d say around 800 yards and 5 TDs is within reach here.

Benjamin Watson – Baltimore Ravens – TE

Watson leaves the Saints and joins the Ravens at age 35. Last year he had a career year and it would be a bad idea to expect that again. His age is a risk and Flacco is no Brees but, Offensive Coordinator Marc Trestman looks to the tight end more so than most. Watson would be a good backup to stash on your bench to see how things turn out.

Jared Cook – Green Bay Packers – TE

Give Aaron Rodgers any tight end and he’ll find a way to get him the ball and give him some fantasy value. Jared Cook is a guy who never reached his potential with the Titans and Rams but, his situation in Green Bay could change things. Time will tell and for now Cook is a backup consideration.

Sleeper Picks

Here are some players you may be able to get a few rounds later than normal that can have a big year. In some cases these picks could be starters from the get go, others may be bench depth with potential.

QB Matt Ryan – Atlanta [Starter]

QB David Carr – Oakland [Bench]

QB Marcus Mariota – Tennessee [Bench]

RB Eddie Lacy – Green Bay [Starter]

RB Carlos Hyde – San Francisco [Bench]

RB Jonathan Stewart – Carolina [Starter]

RB Frank Gore – Indianapolis [Bench]

WR Allen Hurns – Jacksonville [Starter/Bench]

WR Michael Crabtree – Oakland [Bench]

WR Dorial Green-Beckham – Tennessee [Bench]

WR Marvin Jones – Detroit [Starter/Bench]

WR Travis Benjamin – San Diego [Bench]

TE Coby Fleener – New Orleans [Starter]

TE Antoni Gates – San Diego [Starter/Bench]

TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins – Tampa Bay [Bench]

TE Benjamin Watson – Baltimore [Bench]

TE Jared Cook – Green Bay [Bench]

TE Jordan Cameron – Miami [Bench]

TE Will Tye – NY Giants [Bench]

Kickers

As far as Kickers go, grab one, if he fails, drop and replace. Here’s my top 10:

Stephen Gostkowski – New England Patriots

Steven Hauschka – Seattle Seahawks

Graham Gano – Carolina Panther

Brandon McManus – Denver Broncos

Mason Crosby – Green Bay Packers

Justin Tucker – Baltimore Ravens

Dan Bailey – Dallas Cowboys

Chandler Catanzaro – Arizona Cardinals

Adam Vinatieri – Indianapolis Colts

Josh Brown – New York Giants

Defense

It is crucial to have a good defense. Your defense usually starts off with 10 points and that number can increase or decrease. A good defense can get you 10 – 20 points on average. A bad defense can get you less than five points on average and the last thing you want from your defense is negative points. If you end up with an ok but not great defense, I suggest drafting two and playing the match-ups or the hot quad from week to week.

Elite: Arizona & Seattle.

Above Average: Denver, Houston, Kansas City, & New York Jets

Did you ever think you could benefit from playing video games? Video games have been a highly debatable topic over the last decade or so. Concerns arose over violent video games and the idea that they might encourage negative behaviors and make players more aggressive. There is much still to debate, but some research has shown that those claims are not true. Research has also shown that video games can have a variety of positive effects on gamers of all ages.

Playing video games requires high level thinking and hand-eye coordination skills. Playing games exercises these skills and gives your brain a workout. Some of these skills are not taught in school. Let’s take a look at how you can benefit:

1. Reading skills are improved by reading and following instructions, game information, and clues to complete tasks and follow storylines.
2. Math skills are developed by using quantitative analysis to manage resources. In games like Clash of Clans and SimCity, gamers need to manage limited resources and make decisions about how to spend those resources most efficiently. These skills can be applied to management of personal finance.
3. Although shooting games are violent, they can be very efficient in teaching hand-eye coordination, motor, and spatial skills. In a shooter game (like Call of Duty and Halo), the gamer may be running and shooting at the same time. The gamer has to keep track of the enemy, (where they’re going and how fast they’re moving), focus the crosshairs on the enemy, and make sure gunfire is hitting the target. While interpreting all of this information the gamer has to coordinate proper reactions with their hands and fingers to move and shoot with certain buttons on the controller. Hand-eye coordination and spatial skills are required to be successful.
4. Video games that simulate stressful situations found in action & adventure games (like Tomb Raider and Uncharted) and can be training tools for real-world situations. Action video games require gamers to think and analyze quickly, and make decisions based on the situation. These games can increase skill and speed for critical thinking and situational awareness.
5. If you fall down, get back up! Games like Candy Crush provide what seem like an endless number of levels with each level getting a little more difficult as you progress. When a gamer starts to get out of the basic and intermediate levels, it is very common to lose on the first try at a harder level. Gamers continue trying to beat the level to be successful and move on. This teaches a valuable lesson in perseverance - if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try, again!
6. In many games, strategy and multitasking come into play. Whether the game is action/adventure (Batman Arkham Series), fighting (Mortal Kombat), platform (Super Mario), puzzle (Tetris), racing (Forza Motorsport), real-time strategy (StarCraft), role-playing (Dragon Age), shooter (Titanfall), turn base (Final Fantasy), or something else, there is always a strategy involved. Gamers need to plan for a long term goal, but also need multitasking skills when unexpected surprises (like new enemies arriving) take place. Gamers will need to alter their strategy to address the immediate problem while keeping their long term goal in reach. This helps gamers develop an ability to adapt and to prepare for unexpected challenges and changes in games, and in real life.
7. Online gaming affords opportunities for socialization. Early in the history of gaming, there were concerns about gamers becoming socially isolated because they were playing games by themselves. However, online games are quite socially active. Communication with other players is available by vocal and/or text communication. In a lot of online game modes, gamers need to work together to achieve their goal. This develops teamwork skills and helps gamers become better collaborators when working in a group.
8. Gaming can promote family bonding. Some games have multiplayer game modes for a night of fun with the whole family. I can remember game night “back in my day”, playing Mario Kart 64 and Mario Party with my parents and brother. Those nights were a ton of fun!
9. You might be thinking you’re too old to play video games. Believe it or not doctors are telling patients of all ages to play video games. Studies show that playing games can improve attention, focus, memory, problem solving skills, and spatial recall. The Islip Library is offering a Brain Fitness Computer Games Course - Friday June 17, 2016 - 10:00 am → Register now to reserve your seat!
10. Video games can help you lose weight! . . . What? Nintendo Wii U, Playstation 4 and Xbox One have the ability to monitor your motions for certain games. Additional accessories may be required. In a bowling game, you simulate the motion of throwing a bowling ball. Based on your mechanics, the ball will go down the lane or in a gutter. This also applies to exercising games, you can do a workout program on your console and the better your form is the more points you get in the game. Although this is a fun way to exercise, you should still get outside as well!

Concerned parents should monitor game play just like they would television viewing. Decide what games are acceptable for your child by considering your child’s maturity, and by the game rating located on the cover of the case. Explain to your child the reason if a game might not be appropriate for them.

Come on in and get a game! The Library offers video games available to check out for the following systems: Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii U, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

For more information on the pros and cons of video games and brain fitness, search our online magazine, newspaper, & journal databases for scholarly articles. A good place to start is MasterFile Elite which is accessible from our website; you will need your Library card to access the resources.

Do you have interesting tidbits, life changing experiences, or fond memories of Islip Hamlet? Join us in remembering the history of Islip Hamlet from the community’s perspective by sharing a memory. Tell us about big events in Islip, businesses and business owners on Main Street, interactions at Islip Schools,interesting happenings around town, evenings at the Islip Speedway, natural disaster experiences, or simply share some fun historical facts about our community.

Memories can be viewed and shared at the display case located across from the Circulation Desk starting in the beginning of March. Memories will be rotated in and out bi-weekly or monthly based on number of submissions we receive. If you have a photograph to go along with your memory, please submit that as well. We will scan and return the original photo to you. If you don’t have a photograph to share, we will include one from the Library’s collection.

Memories shared with the Library will be placed on display, preserved, and may be included in future projects as well. Submission forms can be found by the display case; leave forms in drop box or hand them in at the Reference Desk. For more information, please feel free to speak with me, or with another librarian at the Adult Reference Desk.

Help us remember and be remembered! Thanks!